Under new rules, public housing authorities and Section 8 rental assistance property owners could implement work requirements and time limits for tenants who are not disabled and not elderly.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner announced proposed changes to public housing programs. 

Under new rules, public housing authorities and Section 8 rental assistance property owners could implement work requirements and time limits for tenants who are not disabled and not elderly. 

"HUD's proposal means that participants could enact work requirements of up to 40 hours per week, time limits of two years or more for able-bodied adults, or both," Turner said. "We're not kicking out senior citizens and we are not kicking kids out into the streets." 

Instead, Turner said the proposal will free up funding to support more families in need. He says HUD is only able to serve one in four people who qualify for assistance. 

Some public housing authorities have already been allowed to set work hours and time limits for occupants through a special program. One of those housing authorities is the Housing Authority of Champaign County. For more than 10 years, they've required tenants to work for 15 hours a week for individuals or 30 hours for households. 

"Through the program, we have more money to spend on support services, to spend on building housing," said Lily Walton, executive director of the Housing Authority of Champaign County. "We are able to house more people." 

Under the new rules, any public housing authority that add new requirements will also need to provide support services. This would include credit recovery training, homeowner training, and financial literacy training, and other things. 

The proposed rules will still need to be officially approved before they take effect. 

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